Pope John XXII

Jacques Duèze (1244–1334), born at Cahors, taught law before becoming Bishop of Avignon in 1310 and a cardinal in 1312. After a two-year interregnum he was elected pope at Lyon in 1316 as John XXII, second of the Avignon popes, and centralized papal power and income.

He excommunicated Emperor Louis IV, who marched on Rome and enthroned the antipope Nicholas V in reply, and he condemned the Franciscan doctrine of absolute poverty.

In 1323 he canonized Thomas Aquinas. His beatific-vision teaching caused a scandal he retracted only on his deathbed at Avignon in December 1334.